Apparatus for siliconizing silicon carbide bodies



ber into Which is introduced silicon powder, C10Sures carried by the ends of Said tubuar member in uid tight relation8hip, means forming a housing around Said chamber, holes being f0rmed in Said tubuar carbon member t0 roject therethrough Said Silicon carbide bodies S0 aS to dispose 'he p0rtions thereof Which are t0 be Sniconized in said melting chamber and to embed such portions in the Silicon povvder therein, a pr0tective packing disposed around Said nelting chamber and around parts of Said bodies, the remaining parts of Said bodies projecting from said protective acking t0 the outside, Ineans including electrical termina1s connected at the ends of said tubular member f0r graduany heating Said me...ng chamber to melt Said Silicon owder [herein, Said en1bedded portions of Said bodies being correspondingly gradually heated, nrst to elevated temperature t0 cause escape of gaseous Inatter 0ccluded therein to the outside through the parts of said bodies Which roject from Said packing and there after t0 assume a tenperature Corresponding t0 the 11]elting ten1perat11re of said Silicon in Said melting chamber, Said protective packing preventing dissipation of the vapor IeSsur{ generated in Said melting chamber by the melt ing of said silicon to cause the [I0lten Silicon to penetrate into the degassed pores of the enbedded portions of Said Silicon carbide bodies.

2, The apparatus aS dened in claiIn 1, Whefein Said packing comprises (lllaltz and coke particles 3 The apparatus as denned in claim 1 Whefein said closures are carbon plugs and Said terminals are connected to said plugs Refeences Ced in the me 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 87 138 Roberts Iuly 27 1897 826,74j Price July 24, 1906 l,100,709 Brown June 23, 1914 1,901,2 M0Schel Mar' 14 1933 l,906,963 Heyr0th May 2 1933 2,0Z7,786 Ridgway et al ]an. 14 1936 2,S36,774 samuel ]an 2, 19Sl 

1. APPARATUS FOR SILILCONIZING PREDETERMINED PORTION OF POROUS SILICON CARBID BODIES COMPRISING A TUBULAR HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CARBON MEMBER FORMING A MELTING CHAMBER INTO WHICH IS INTRODUCED SILICON POWDER, CLOSURES CARRIED BY THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IN FLUID TIGHT RELATIONSHIP, MEANS FORMING A HOUSING AROUND SAID CHAMBER, HOLES BEING FORMED IN SAID TUBULAR CARBON MEMBER TO PROJECT THERETHROUGH SAID SILICON CARBIDE BODIES SO AS TO DISPOSE THE PORTIONS THEREOF WHICH ARE TO BE SILICONIZED IN SAID MELTING CHAMBER AND TO EMBED SUCH PORTIONS IN THE SILICON POWDER THEREIN, A PROTECTIVE PACKING DISPOSED AROUND SAID MELTING CHAMBER AND AROUND PARTS OF SAID BODIES, THE REMAINING PARTS OF SAID BODIES PROJECTING FROM SAID PROTECTIVE PACKING TO THE OUTSIDE, MEANS INCLUDING ELECTRICAL TERMINALS CONNECTED AT THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBR FOR GRADUALLY HEATING SAID MELTING CHAMBER TO MELT SAID SILICON POWDER THEREIN, SAID EMBEDDED PORTIONS OF SAID BODIES BEING CORRESPONDINGLY GRADUALLY HEATED, FIRST TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO CAUSE ESCAPE OF GASEOUS MATTER OCCLUDED THEREIN TO THE OUTSIDE THROUGH THE PARTS OF SAID BODIES WHICH PROJECT FROM SAID PACKING AND THEREAFTER TO ASSUME A TEMPERATURE CORRESPONDING TO THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID SILICON IN SAID MELTING CHAMBERSAID PROTECTIVE PACKING PREVENTING DISSIPATION OF THE VAPOR PRESSURE GENERATED IN SAID MELTING CHAMBER BY THE MELTING OF SAID SILICON TO CAUSE THE MOLTEN SILICON TO PENETRATE INTO THE DEGASSED PORES OF THE EMBEDDED PORTIONS OF SAID SILICON CARBIDE BODIES. 